Theodore felt a pang of guilt and despair after witnessing the escalating violence.Mustering his remaining strength, he rose to shield Vivianne. "Take me instead. Spare Vivianne, and I'll give you everything I own in Jenaire City." Kendrick scoffed, "Do you think money can buy me off? You're a fool, Theodore. You have no idea who you married." Although confused by Kendrick's reference to a "Goddess", Theodore understood he was talking about his wife."Tell me where my wife is," he begged.Kendrick's patience wore thin."You'll never understand the kind of woman you had," he sneered, raising his hand to strike. Vivianne threw herself in front of her father in a desperate act of love. Both struggled to protect the other, their futile efforts eliciting a cruel laugh from Kendrick. As his lethal blow descended, a figure suddenly intercepted it. Kendrick's strike landed squarely on a man's chest. The crowd gasped in astonishment.It was Frederick!Kendrick looked up, startl
Seeing Kendrick finally defeated, Vivianne excitedly patted Frederick's shoulder."You were incredible! You saved us!"But as Frederick turned, his eyes were dark and menacing.A chill ran down Vivianne's spine. This was not the Frederick she knew."Frederick, what's wrong? Don't scare me," she asked.Tears streamed down her face as she reached out to touch him. His skin was icy cold. As her tears fell on his face, his eyes softened, their usual warmth returning.Frederick whispered, "Vivianne, are you alright?"As Frederick's eyes cleared, Vivianne wiped away her tears, a smile returning to her face. "I'm alright, Frederick. Thanks to you."Frederick managed a weak smile before his eyes fluttered closed, and he slumped to the ground.Panic-stricken, Vivianne knelt beside him, shaking him and calling his name. Suddenly, the sound of approaching speedboats cut through the tension. A group of men boarded the ship, their leader a young man who surveyed the chaotic scene with wi
Hearing Baxter's accusatory tone and recalling Albert's claim of bidding on behalf of the York family, Isabella's face hardened. "He was bidding maliciously at the Smith family auction, claiming to be acting under the York family's orders. That's why I broke his legs."Baxter's expression changed. It was indeed about the ring."Albert was bidding maliciously?"Isabella scoffed, "Six billion dollars. Does that not sound malicious to you? Or perhaps the York family can foot the bill?"Baxter was dumbfounded. Six billion dollars? Where could he possibly find that kind of money?"Where is the ring now?" he asked, his voice strained.Isabella shrugged. "The Smith family's policy is to protect the privacy of our clients. We cannot disclose information about the buyer."Baxter glared at her, but he didn't dare offend a fellow member of the Ten Titans. Just then, Albert was wheeled out. He pointed at Frederick who was lying on the ground."Mr. Baxter, I know where the ring is. He b
"Absorb it all! I shall devour you when you are full," the sinister voice whispered within Frederick's mind.Having wiped the blood from Frederick's hands, Baxter once again reached for Frederick's ring. But the moment he touched it, a searing pain shot through his hand, forcing him to recoil."Damn it!" he cursed, shaking his hand in pain. "This thing is cursed!"His frustration turned into rage. Baxter drew a knife with a menacing grin. "I'll just take the hand with it!"Vivianne witnessed this brutality and jumped to her feet.Her voice filled with righteous fury as she spoke, "Damn you! You can't just rob him like this!"Baxter scoffed and his eyes filled with disdain. "I can do whatever I please. Who's going to stop me in this insignificant town?" A voice cut through the tension. "I will." Baxter turned to see Isabella standing tall on the stage, her eyes narrowed in defiance.She said coldly, "You are well aware of the Smith family's auction rules. This ring was purc
Baxter felt no pity at the scene.His mind raced, focused on obtaining the ring before his uncle's arrival, a deed that would surely earn him a favor.But just as Baxter's blade was about to fall upon Vivianne, he was abruptly ensnared by a chilling force that rendered him immobile. Glancing down, he froze in horror. A massive python had wrapped itself around him.A python? On a cruise ship? It was as if the creature had appeared out of nowhere!From behind Baxter emerged a group of peculiar figures dressed in vibrant, exotic garments. Leading them was an elderly man with white hair, his eyes filled with concern as he gazed at the prone Vivianne.Only after confirming her safety did he turn his hardened gaze toward Baxter. "How dare you harm the Goddess of the Venomveil Tribe? Such an offense is unforgivable!"With those words, he raised his snake-headed staff, causing the python to bare its fangs, ready to devour Baxter whole.Baxter was paralyzed with fear. He pleaded, "Spar
Vivianne was truly at a loss.First Kendrick, and now these strangers… Everyone seemed to be fixated on this "Goddess of the Venomveil Tribe".Theodore was equally baffled by the situation and intimidated by the newcomers' power.He stepped forward and said, "Honored guests, my daughter isn't who you seek. There must be some misunderstanding."Master Vipersage's eyes fell on Theodore and his expression darkened. "You are her father? Then it was you who deceived our former Goddess!"Theodore was taken aback. How could he deceive beings of such power?Could he have possibly deceived such a person? He wouldn't even dare to think about it!"I swear, I've never met your Goddess before," he insisted. Unconvinced, Master Vipersage questioned, "Was the Goddess's mother named Elvira Coleman?"Theodore was stunned. Elvira was indeed his wife's name, known only to him and William. After Vivianne's birth, Elvira had vanished, leaving strict instructions not to speak of her. Could t
Sensing the tense atmosphere with Master Vipersage, Sylvester had no choice but to back down.He didn't want to cause conflict with the Venomveil Tribe unless absolutely necessary.Master Vipersage and his men then brought Frederick and others departed. As the cruise's owner, Sirius promptly arranged accommodations for them.Observing Frederick being escorted away, Baxter worriedly reminded Sylvester, "Uncle Sylvester, didn't Grandpa specifically ask us to retrieve the ring? It's still on that man's finger!"Sylvester delivered a harsh slap across Baxter's face, sending him stumbling and causing his right cheek to immediately swell."Didn't I instruct you to discreetly buy the ring back?" Sylvester scolded. "Who authorized you to publicly sever someone's hand? You nearly offended the Venomveil Tribe, their wrath is not easily appeased!"Baxter nursed his stinging cheek and suppressed his resentment. "Uncle Sylvester, that ring is cursed and cannot be removed. It even seems to
Theodore's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he subconsciously blurted out, "That's right, my wife had this ability back then..."However, he abruptly stopped upon seeing Master Vipersage's threatening glare.Master Vipersage narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "I traced the video's origin to Stanva City. Given that Kendrick was investigating the previous Goddess there, he surely witnessed the new Goddess's awakening. Why didn't he report it?"I suspect he planned to harm the Goddess of the Venomveil Tribe because his daughter is a potential successor. So, I rushed here with my men, but unfortunately, we arrived too late. Thankfully, the Goddess is unharmed."Vivianne pieced together the information and realized Kendrick must have discovered something in Jenaire City three years ago.However, he remained silent as he feared it would jeopardize his daughter's chances as a Goddess candidate. Driven by this fear, Kendrick even attempted to kill Vivianne's father but was deterred by